Dust-removing banquet

Chapter 54, The Welcome-Away Banquet

I had a vague idea that my older brother's "feast to calm my nerves" was not just a simple way to help me calm my nerves, but when Lan Feiyu and I were respectfully led by the maids into the brightly lit, bustling banquet hall, we were still completely stunned.

This is hardly meant to calm my nerves!

The hall was decorated in a solemn and dignified manner, retaining some of the old furnishings from the Shu Palace, such as the heavy nanmu beams and pillars and the faded murals still faintly visible on the walls. However, most of the furnishings consisted of simple, temporarily added tables and screens, giving it a sense of the efficiency of a military camp. The crisp scent of fine sandalwood filled the air, overpowering all other odors and adding to the somber atmosphere. The hall was well-lit, with flickering candlelight, but only a few seats were set up at the main and lower levels. Apart from a few guards standing in the corner like statues, there was no one else in the hall.

Most importantly, the eldest brother standing in the main seat had a completely different demeanor than usual.

He removed his practical, action-oriented attire and donned a dark black royal robe embroidered with dark gold cloud patterns. The finest satin shimmered with a calm, understated brilliance in the candlelight. Wide sleeves and a broad belt, cinched at the waist with a smooth, translucent white jade dragon belt, were worn elegantly. A winged crown completed his formal attire. This solemn garment, usually reserved for court ceremonies or grand occasions, accentuated his already imposing figure, making him appear even more distinguished and radiating an awe-inspiring majesty. To my surprise, it felt somewhat…unfamiliar.

Mr. Tao, too, looked completely transformed. He wore a brand-new dark-colored, short-sleeved jacket, a common garment for men from Bozhou, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that the fabric was of high quality, with intricate patterns densely embroidered in gold thread on the cuffs and collar. He wore matching wide-legged trousers, and a wide brocade belt cinched his waist, from which hung a lustrous, smooth jade pendant, its style antique and seemingly not native to Bozhou. Unlike many Bozhou men who wore their hair loose or wrapped it in a turban, he meticulously tied his black hair back into a bun common among scholars of Eastern Chu, secured with a simple ebony hairpin. This seemingly mismatched attire and hairstyle, far from being jarring, cleverly blended the styles of both regions, making his already lean face even more handsome and refined, exuding a quiet, scholarly air.

At this moment, he stood respectfully to the left of his elder brother, his head slightly bowed. His humble posture made the elder brother's usual smile seem unusual and unfathomable.

After staring in disbelief, I looked at Lan Feiyu, who was also looking at me with a somewhat uneasy expression. I secretly whispered in her ear, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Look, the three of you are all dressed like you're going to celebrate some big festival, but I'm dressed like I'm going to stroll around the backyard. Yu'er, this isn't to calm me down, your big brother has something to tell you."

Lan Feiyu bit her lower lip, glanced at Mr. Tao, and lowered her voice: "Can I... really trust Dong Chu?"

“Dongchu…isn’t all bad people or people who don’t keep their word, Yu’er, you know that best, don’t you?” I carefully took her hand and whispered in her ear, “You know that best, don’t you?”

Before I could finish speaking, my elder brother's gaze swept past me and landed on Lan Feiyu. His eyes, usually filled with a gentle smile, were now deep and calm, carrying an undeniable scrutiny. He nodded slightly, his voice steady, revealing little emotion, yet possessing an inherent authority:

"Miss Lan, Xiao Xi, please take a seat."

I quickly pulled Lan Feiyu along, half-pushing her, and led her to her seat. She glanced down at me, the hesitation in her eyes lessening slightly, and finally followed my lead, sitting down on the brocade mat at the lower end of the table.

The older brother's smile remained unchanged. He didn't speak immediately, but waited patiently for the maid to serve the exquisite dishes one by one, and then personally poured us cups of clear rice wine before speaking again. This time, his gaze was clearly fixed on Lan Feiyu, his expression solemn, and he said in a deep voice:

“Miss Lan, our encounter in Bozhou was hasty and I was quite impolite. I have not yet formally greeted you. Now, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to you and Mr. Tao for their help in our time of crisis, which saved Xi’er’s life.”

After saying that, he actually picked up the full glass of wine in front of him with both hands, and bowed slightly to Lan Feiyu and Mr. Tao across the table to show his respect.

Upon seeing this, Lan Feiyu, who was next to me, and Mr. Tao, who was opposite me, both changed their expressions slightly and hurriedly stood up. As the person who was "rescued," I naturally dared not sit still and also hurriedly stood up, my heart pounding. I was even more certain that this "welcome-back banquet" had nothing to do with an ordinary family dinner.

The elder brother's gaze swept over the three of us, and he slightly raised his hand in a gesture of apology, indicating that such a formality was unnecessary: ​​"This humble wine is merely a token of my gratitude. Please, both of you, have a seat." Only after Lan Feiyu and Mr. Tao had sat down again, albeit somewhat awkwardly, did he put down his wine cup. His gaze returned to Lan Feiyu, and his tone became even more formal: "As you both know, I am honored to be personally appointed King Xinan by His Majesty. My journey here is by order of the Emperor to tour the southwest, pacify the people, and inspect the border regions. However, unforeseen events occurred in Bozhou along the way, forcing me to change course and linger here."

He changed the subject, his voice becoming heavy: "Miss Lan, due to the urgency of the situation that day, I was unable to properly mourn the passing of your father and brother, which is truly regrettable. I hope you can forgive me."

Mentioning her suddenly deceased father and brother, Lan Feiyu's usually tense shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly. A thin layer of red quickly welled up in her eyes, and tears shimmered within them. This fragile emotion lingered on her face for only a fleeting moment. Before I could react, she took a deep breath, lowered her eyes, and when she looked up again, her gaze had regained most of its cool composure, though a faint hoarseness remained in her voice. She looked directly at her elder brother, her tone respectful yet direct, and asked, "Thank you for remembering my father and brother, Your Highness. Your Highness mentioned Bozhou…May I ask, Your Highness, has the Eastern Chu…could the court have made any decisions or arrangements regarding Bozhou now?"

The elder brother nodded slightly, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes, but his voice softened as he said, "I did intend to discuss this matter with Miss Lan. But there's no rush. You and Xi'er have been traveling for days and have also been frightened, so you must be having trouble sleeping and eating. Now that things have finally settled down, why not try the cooking of this former Shu imperial chef?"

Hearing my older brother mention the word "frightened," a thought struck me, and I suddenly remembered the blood-stained handkerchief. After bathing and changing, I had instinctively hidden it close to my body. Now that we were out of danger, this dying letter written in blood seemed to have lost its original meaning, but discarding it seemed inappropriate. While pondering this, I quietly took it out from inside my clothes and, when no one was looking, slipped it into Lan Feiyu's hand.

Lan Feiyu lowered her eyes, a hint of doubt flashing in them. I watched as she carefully unfolded the handkerchief, and when she saw the dark handwriting on it, her expression suddenly changed, and she turned sharply to look at me with a complicated look in her eyes.

I coughed lightly, lowered my voice, and explained with some embarrassment, "Back then... I thought I was about to die, and I kept thinking... I had to leave some kind of trace..."

I whispered those words almost into her ear, but to my surprise, my older brother not only had sharp eyes but also amazing hearing, catching my barely audible voice clearly. He spoke without warning, his words directly addressing my earlier whisper, startling me so much I nearly jumped out of my seat: 'Thinking you were going to die?' Xi'er," his voice was calm yet carried an undeniable force, 'Tell me in detail, how exactly does Princess Turo intend to 'arrange' things for you? Xie Kun alone shouldn't have driven you to such despair, would it?'

I didn't answer my older brother's words; I was so shocked I was speechless. After a long while, I looked at him and stammered, "Ah, ah, does everyone know that I...my..."

“Xiao Xi,” my older brother interrupted me, his usual calm quelling my racing heartbeat, “Your biological father is Xie Lian, you know that now. If you want to ask why we’ve kept it from you all these years, you can only ask Aunt Chang Le in person after you meet her.”

At this point, he paused abruptly, lowered his gaze slightly, and said softly to me, "You are not a little girl anymore, Xi'er. You should know how your mother treats you. She has her own reasons... But whether it is her, Aunt Xian, or Father, we all regard you as our own flesh and blood. You should understand this."

My older brother's gentle words soothed my still-frightened heart, but also stirred up pent-up grievances, making my nose sting and my eyes well up with tears again. Before I could speak, Lan Feiyu silently handed the handkerchief back to me. I clutched the handkerchief tightly, took a deep breath, stood up, walked to my older brother's side, and presented the handkerchief to him. The fear, anxiety, and grievances that had accumulated throughout the journey finally found an outlet. I choked back tears as I recounted all the experiences I had encountered on my trip to Western Shu. By the end, my voice was hoarse: "Who my biological father is doesn't matter, older brother, I just... I just want to understand what really happened! You said it yourself, I'm not a little girl anymore."

I glanced at Lan Feiyu and continued, “Look, Yu’er is the same age as me, and you treat her with such formality and grandeur. Do you consider her the person in charge of Bozhou? I am also my mother’s daughter and my uncle’s niece. You even bestowed upon me the title of Princess of Dongchu! I, I also want to do my part for my family, my hometown…”

The two characters "Zhao Xi" that I had painstakingly written on the handkerchief were no longer as vibrant as they once were, but had solidified into a unique, dark brown. My older brother held the handkerchief, his gaze lingering on those two characters for a while. I pouted and whispered, "Big brother, even if I'm going to die, I want to die under the name 'Zhao Xi.' Don't you trust me?"

But the older brother handed the handkerchief to Lan Feiyu, his expression becoming solemn: "Miss Lan, are you clear about Xiao Xi's feelings?"

Lan Feiyu looked at me, her gaze flickering with complex emotions, before finally nodding.

“Then,” the older brother’s voice deepened, “do you understand that allying with Tulu is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin? Your hope of using Tulu’s strength to resist Eastern Chu is nothing short of drinking poison to quench thirst. Once Tulu becomes too powerful, Bozhou… I’m afraid even the name ‘Bozhou’ will cease to exist!”

He sighed softly, turning his gaze to the silent Mr. Tao: "I have already frankly discussed the stakes with you before—Bozhou now has no choice but to either annex Tuluo or submit to Eastern Chu. There is no third option… Miss Lan," he turned to Lan Feiyu, his voice tinged with sorrow, "when your brother was in the capital of Eastern Chu, I met him several times and we became quite acquainted. He died suddenly not long after returning to Bozhou, and I suspect that… it was because he inadvertently revealed his intention to side with Eastern Chu."

"Wh...what?!" Upon hearing this, Lan Feiyu's face turned pale, and she suddenly stood up from her seat. The huge movement even overturned the heavy chair behind her, making a piercing sound.

My mouth remained agape, unable to close. In the hazy state of my mind, another thought suddenly occurred to me: it turned out that the kite was actually a princess of the Turo Kingdom.